Kingdom Plantae Family Fabaceae Tribe Loteae Scientific name Lotus formosissimus Rank Species | Order Fabales Subfamily Faboideae Genus Lotus Higher classification Trefoil | |
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Similar Trefoil, Legumes, Lotus crassifolius, Lotus micranthus, Lotus oblongifolius |
Lotus formosissimus is a species of legume known by the common name seaside bird's-foot trefoil. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in moist spots in the coastal mountains and down to the oceanside bluffs. It is a perennial herb growing upright or spreading to about 0.5 m in maximum length. It is lined with leaves each made up of a few oppositely arranged oval leaflets up to 2 cm long. The inflorescence is made up of several pealike flowers each 1 to 2 cm long. The flower has a bright yellow banner, or upper petal, and bright pink or white lower petals. The fruit is a legume pod 2 to 3 cm long.
References
Lotus formosissimus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA